


Alive Again

by PK102



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-13 05:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9109129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PK102/pseuds/PK102
Summary: Byakuya goes to the World of the Living on "vacation" and finds the reincarnation of Hisana. Shocked, he tries to confront her, but a certain Kurosaki is standing in his way. A little Ichi/Ruki implied.





	

###  **Sunday**

It was that time of year again, and he could not help but think about her no matter how hard he tried to forget. Despite all of the years since her death, it was not easy to forget your soul mate when your love never diminishes. 

He reminisced on the days past, when he would spend every waking hour with her just to please her. He loved it when she smiled, especially when it was because of him. But she couldn’t smile anymore; she was dead. It had been almost 125 years since her death, caused by an unknown illness. He learned to live without her, eventually, but he would never be the same. 

He was in his office when Renji entered, working diligently on paperwork so he could go home a little earlier today. He barely looked up at his subordinate, concentrating on his task, until Renji was standing right in front of his desk, staring at him. They both continued on like that until Byakuya couldn’t stand the gaze anymore. “What do you want, Abarai?” he asked, his voice clipped. He was in no mood to deal with his lieutenant’s antics today. Definitely not today. 

“I’ve come to let you know the Senkaimon is ready for your departure now, sir,” Renji replied. 

He frowned; there had been no notice he was going on a mission. “I do not believe I asked for the Senkaimon to be opened.” 

“The head-captain is giving you a vacation, sir, to the World of the Living for one week.” 

His eyes narrowed dangerously, yet the lieutenant never flinched, meeting his gaze. “I do not recall asking for a vacation, Abarai.” 

“Yes sir. I requested one for you. You always get so moody around this time of the year, and after the war, I thought it would be best if you got out of the office for a little while,” Renji replied. 

A short stare-down commenced between the two 6th division officers. Neither proud man was willing to back down, but the stress from the war and the loss of his wife forced Byakuya to reluctantly concede. Sighing, he stood up and gathered his zanpakutō leaning beside his desk. “Fine then, tell Head-captain Yamamoto I will be departing soon,” he said as he headed out of the barracks towards the Senkaimon. When he arrived he saw that it was indeed already open and waiting for his departure. 

# . . .

After walking through the Senkaimon, he took a few moments to get his bearings and realized he was in Karakura Town, the location of the Winter War. If he was going on vacation, Karakura Town would have been the last place he picked. The chances of running into that loud and obnoxious ex-substitute shinigami were extremely high, a chance he did not want to take. 

He walked down the street to where he knew Urahara Shoten and its crazy shopkeeper would be located so he could get a gigai and maybe some extra clothes. Or some money so he could leave the Town. As he was walking, it began to lightly drizzle before turning into a full-on shower. Drenched completely and extremely annoyed by now, he started walking faster. What had he done to deserve this? All he had wanted to do was finish his paperwork, go home, and mourn the loss of his wife alone. Was that too much to ask for, considering all he had done in his life? Apparently not. 

A squeal of delight stunned him out of his inner griping. Curious, he looked around the path he was on for the source of the noise. The road he was on was situated atop a hill that overlooked the city, and underneath that hill was a small park where the noise originated. How anyone could be out in this rain intrigued him, and he wandered over the ledge to look. 

He stopped short and his breathing slowed as he glimpsed two figures on the swings facing away from him and laughing as if it wasn’t raining buckets on them. Unaware of his actions, he caught himself whispering a name he hadn’t spoken aloud in over a century. “Hisana.” 

As soon as the word was muttered the young girl turned around, searching. Her eyes widened when she saw him at the top of the hill, and she quickly spun to tell her friend. He turned around at her word, but seemed unable to spot Byakuya. When she made to turn around in order to point him out, she found he was no longer there, having hidden himself with kidō. She frowned, and he almost wanted to dispel the kidō, but she brushed it off as her imagination and turned back to her friend. 

The soon got up and walked away, still talking and laughing without a care in the world. He stared after her until she disappeared from his sight, his mind running with possibilities. Without another moment to spare, he turned and continued his journey to the small shop where he hoped he could find more information. 

He didn’t have to wait long because as soon as he arrived at Urahara Shoten he was shown inside by the little girl that always seemed to hang around the shop. He entered the small sitting room, and was surprised to see both Kisuke and Yoruichi waiting for him. “Please come in, Captain Kuchiki,” Kisuke said. “We weren’t expecting your sudden visit, so we didn’t have time to get your gigai ready. If you’re willing to wait, I can have it brought to you in a little while.” 

“That is fine. In the meantime, I have some questions to ask.” 

“Of course,” Kisuke replied good-naturedly. At that moment, Tessai came in with a pot of tea and some cups, which he placed in front of the shinigami. “Tessai, would you mind getting the captain’s gigai ready?” he asked once he was done. 

“Right away, sir,” Tessai replied before moving to one of the back rooms, presumably to do as Kisuke asked. 

He turned back to Byakuya. “So, what seems to be on your mind, Captain?” 

“And don’t try to hide it; I know what you’re thinking,” Yoruichi added with a grin, leaning forward on her elbows. 

Byakuya calmly took a drink of his tea while he took the opportunity to gather his thoughts and decide what he wanted first. “Has she really been reincarnated?” he asked solemnly, his gaze trained on Kisuke for his answer. 

He sighed and his gaze lowered. “Yes, I have already confirmed. It is her,” he replied. 

“And neither of you thought to inform me?” Byakuya said sharply, his gaze narrowing at the ex-captains. 

“I apologize if I’ve offended you, but I was personally asked to keep this a secret,” he replied, honestly sorry. “However,” he went on, “this was not until after I had already sent a report to Yamamoto. The Soul Society is aware of the situation.” 

Byakuya frowned at Kisuke, his mind thinking back to the scene at the park. So it had been all his fault. The thought reignited the minute anger he felt towards the boy. “So you actually did as the boy asked?” he asked semi-incredulously. “What, pray tell, prompted you to listen to the Kurosaki boy?” 

“He had a sound argument,” Kisuke said quickly. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I did, and it’s not like I was obliged to inform you anyways.” 

“That is not what matters; the point is you are helping him in the first place.” 

“Well, he did ask nicely,” Kisuke recalled. “Even got down on his knees and begged."

###  **Monday**

Byakuya woke the next morning, and it took him a moment before he recalled where he was: on a forced vacation in Karakura Town. And then he recalled the events after his arrival. He sighed as he rubbed at his face, sitting up in his bed. Glancing around the room he had been lent by Kisuke Urahara, he noticed a gigai had been delivered sometime in the night. 

He slipped into the gigai, idly noticing the white button-up shirt and black slacks he had been dressed in, before heading out to the main room where Kisuke and Yoruichi were sitting, eating their breakfast around a round table. He sat down and helped himself to a cup of tea, observing the two before him. Before he’d entered the room he’d heard hushed whispering, but upon his arrival the room had gone silent. He contemplated interrogating Urahara, but before he could the shop doors opened. 

He turned around, curious, but his eyes widened minutely in surprise at the two who walked in. Hisana’s look-alike – because he knew, no matter how similar they looked, she was not his late wife – and the Kurosaki boy, both wearing their school uniforms, entered the shop and made themselves at home around the table. 

She seemed not to notice the additional person in the room, instead grinning at Kisuke and Yoruichi happily. “So, what’s for breakfast today?” she asked, sitting down at the soon-to-be crowded table. “Ooh, I love eggs and bacon!” she exclaimed, digging in. 

Ichigo sat down next to her without a word, watching Byakuya out of the corner of his eye. Byakuya met his gaze steadily. Pretty soon, she noticed Ichigo’s stare-down with him, a stranger, and stopped to examine him. “Who is he?” she asked Urahara. 

“His name is Byakuya Kuchiki, and he’s going to be your substitute teacher for the rest of the week,” he replied, hiding a smirk behind his fan that had suddenly appeared. A tick appeared in Byakuya’s forehead, alerting the shinigami of his annoyance. Ichigo couldn’t help but smirk as he watch Byakuya get entangled in one of Kisuke’s plans. Before Byakuya could reprimand the shopkeeper, Hisana #2 – as he had mentally dubbed her – spoke up. 

“Are you really? That’s cool.” Smiling, she held out her hand to him as an introduction. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Sakura Tsubaki, and this is Ichigo Kurosaki,” she said, introducing herself and the Kurosaki kid. Of course, Byakuya already knew who he was, but neither of them said anything to betray that fact. He shook her hand in return. 

“A pleasure to meet you,” he replied, somewhat strained. 

Thankfully she didn’t seem to notice, instead checking her watch. Noticing the time, she hurriedly finished and grabbed Ichigo, running out of the store. “Sorry, but we’ve got to get to school now. See you later!” she said. They were silent for a moment, watching her go. 

“So, how do you like her?” Yoruichi asked, unable to stand the silence any longer. 

Byakuya thought for a moment before responding. “Just fine.” He turned towards the female, giving her a cold stare. “It does not matter how I feel now. She remembers nothing, and I will not force her to feel anything or remember who she was. She has been given a new life, and I see no need to interfere at all.” 

She smirked at his words. “Oh really? Coming from the man who was so interested in her life last night. I wonder where he went,” she mused. 

“It doesn’t really matter whether or not you want to interfere in her life now, because you are already signed up to be her class’s substitute teacher. It’s unavoidable; you’re going to see her again,” Urahara said, reminding the captain of his previous annoyance. 

“Yes, about that. I have no interest in substituting. This is my vacation, and I’d prefer not to spend it teaching some human students things I have no need for anymore.” 

Urahara smirked behind his stupid fan. “Too bad,” was all he said in response. “You might as well get going so you’re not late to class.” He made a shooing gesture with his hands towards Byakuya, who gave him a cold stare. Even when he visibly shivered, the captain did not back down. 

With one last glare at the exiled captain, Byakuya reluctantly stood, sighing as he did, before he left the shop and headed towards the high school where he would be forced to teach for the rest of the week. Although, if he were really honest with himself, he knew he wasn’t going to mind it as much as he said he would. While teaching wasn’t at the top of his “Things to Do on Vacation” list – not at all, really – spending time with the reincarnation of Hisana couldn’t possibly be so bad. 

# . . .

“Hey Ichigo, does the new teacher remind you of that guy we saw in the park?” she asked out of nowhere, surprising Ichigo. 

“Yeah,” was all he said, turning back to his lunch. 

Sakura turned from looking out over the courtyard back to her friend. She appeared thoughtful for a moment before firing more questions at her friend. “I wonder what he was doing out there. He looked so lonely. And he was wearing that weird uniform you sometimes wear, but he had a white cloak. And a smaller sword. Have you met him before?” she asked, pausing her verbal ramblings. 

Ichigo thought for a moment, wondering how much he should reveal. “I really have no idea what he was doing there. But yeah, I have met him before. Let’s just say we’re not on the best of terms with each other. He may not hate me anymore, but he certainly doesn’t like me. I like to think of myself as a nuisance to him,” he replied happily. 

She poked his arm as she reprimanded him, scowling. “Ichigo, that’s not very nice. You should be nicer to him; he seems to be sad for some reason. I wonder why? I think both of you should try to apologize to one another over whatever it is you two have against each other.” 

Ichigo scoffed. “Like that’s going to happen. The day he and I agree on something will be the day the world ends.” 

She frowned. “Still…” she trailed off, when suddenly she popped back up, an idea in her head. “Alright, I’ve got a solution: you two are going to get together and talk about your problems. It’s not healthy to keep a grudge on someone, and it would be easier for you two to resolve it.” 

He rolled his eyes, but when he tried to complain she silenced him with a glare, leaving him with no choice but to go with her stupid plan. “Fine, whatever you say. But good luck trying to convince him.” 

She brightened considerably when she heard his answer, giving him a friendly hug. “Oh, thanks Ichigo! We’ll ask him after school today to see if he can meet us somewhere tomorrow. This is going to be great!” she said as they made their way back downstairs to their classroom. 

Ichigo mentally rolled his eyes, already imagining the outcome of their “talk.” Huge craters scattered around Karakura Town, buildings sliced to ribbons, large slashes in the grounds randomly dispersed throughout. Yes, he had a feeling this would go very well. 

###  **Tuesday**

Class that day was normal, if not a little tense, though no one seemed to notice. As soon as the bell rang, Ichigo and Sakura were out of their seats headed towards the same park where they’d seen Byakuya two nights ago. Halfway there, though, Sakura stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with worry. Ichigo stopped too, confused as Sakura began searching her pockets and her bag for something. “What’re you looking for?” he asked curiously. 

“The key to my apartment,” she replied, still rifling through her belongings. “I need it to get in, otherwise I’d have to go to Urahara to get the spare. But I could have sworn I’d had it when we left school.” 

“Maybe you dropped it somewhere,” Ichigo suggested. 

When she couldn’t find the elusive key, she grudgingly admitted she’d lost it. “Fine. I’ll just go back and look for it, okay. You go on ahead and meet with Mr. Kuchiki.” She gave him a somewhat menacing stare. “And be nice, you two. I don’t want to return to find the park in shambles.” With that, she turned and dashed down the road and back to the school in search of her key. 

Sighing, he continued on to the park as she’d wanted him to. For her, he’d really try to be nice to Byakuya, but there was something about that stuck-up noble that annoyed him. He arrived at the park to find said noble already waiting on one of the park benches, reading a book. He didn’t bother to look up as Ichigo approached him. “Hey,” he said, earning a side-glance from the man. 

“What do you want, Kurosaki?” he asked in a bored tone, still holding the book. 

Ichigo shrugged. “Nothing really. It’s just, Sakura wanted us to apologize to each other, although I see nothing to apologize for. I would save Rukia a thousand times again, and fight you every damn time if that’s what it took,” he said fiercely. 

“Hmm, well if that’s all, then I’d better get going,” Byakuya replied, putting down his book as he prepared to leave. Ichigo stopped him, throwing an arm out in front of him. He gave the ex-substitute shinigami a stern look that silently asked what he thought he was doing. 

“We’ve still got to wait for Sakura. After all, she’s the one who wanted this, so it would be wrong for you to leave without at least saying something to me in her presence. So she knows we’re all fine and dandy,” Ichigo said, a smirk on his face. Byakuya scowled but reluctantly returned to his seat on the park bench, pulling out his book to read until Sakura returned. But it seemed Ichigo had other plans for the shinigami captain, taking a seat beside him. “So, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be helping fix things up in the Soul Society, since the war’s over?” 

Byakuya hardly looked up as he answered the ex-substitute. “My lieutenant insisted on a vacation, and I could hardly say no,” was all he said. 

Ichigo scoffed as he thought of Renji trying to force the noble to go on vacation. He doubted it had been Renji alone, but he didn’t inquire further. Instead, he talked about what had been on his mind since Byakuya’s arrival. “Ok yeah, but why are you here? I didn’t think Karakura Town was the kind of place where you’d go on vacation. Is there something else keeping you here?” he asked, giving the captain a side look. 

Slightly annoyed, the captain put down his book to give the teenager a level stare. “There is nothing keeping me here except for the trivial job Urahara has given to me. I cannot simply leave because I do not want to do it,” he replied. 

Ichigo snorted in response. “Are you sure that’s the only reason why you’re here?” Ichigo asked persistently. 

Byakuya scrutinized him, looking for what Ichigo was trying to hint at. Coming to realize what he was talking about, he glared at the student. “I don’t think I like what you’re implying, Kurosaki,” he said offhandedly. 

“I’m sure you don’t, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I think you’re still here because of her. You can’t help but feel attracted to her.” 

“You’re wrong. Why would I feel anything for that human girl? She’s nothing to me,” Byakuya said, denying what Ichigo was telling him. 

“Who’re you talking about?” Sakura asked, startling the two shinigami. During their argument, neither of them noticed her return. She had been silent until then, listening to their bickering when she couldn’t help but interject. 

“H-how much did you hear?” Ichigo stuttered, looking like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. 

“I was up by the ledge when Mr. Kuchiki said something about a job from Urahara, but when I kept walking I couldn’t hear anything. Then I heard Kuchiki talking about some human girl being nothing to him,” she replied. Looking back at Ichigo, she repeated her question. “So who were you talking about?” 

“A girl Byakuya used to know. I’ve never met her personally, but I’ve met her sister,” Ichigo answered. 

“What happened to her?” she asked, curious. It was Byakuya who answered her question. 

“She died several years ago.” 

Sakura looked sad, and a little guilty for asking about someone who was obviously very dear to him. “Did you love her?” she asked, barely a whisper so the two shinigami had to strain to hear her. 

“Yes. Hisana…she was my wife,” Byakuya replied. Sakura fought back the tears that threatened to spill when she thought of how hard it must’ve been to talk about her now, when he still loved her. 

“Isn’t the anniversary of her death supposed to be around now?” Ichigo asked, looking at Byakuya. “What are you doing here?” 

Sakura looked up, confused by Ichigo’s question, and barely caught the sad look Byakuya had sent her before looking away. Slowly the answer dawned on her. “Me,” she said softly. Both of them looked at her, surprised, though Byakuya had to look away because he was unable to meet her gaze. “Why? Do I look like her, or remind you of her?” she demanded, though when none of them answered she got angry. “Oh, I see now. The only reason either of you are here is because I remind you of her. I am not her!” she said forcefully. 

Ichigo held his hands up, as if to ward her off. “Woah, I didn’t say anything about you reminding me of her, so technically you’re wrong about me,” he said, uncomfortable with her piercing gaze. 

Angrily, she turned towards him. “Do I look like an idiot to you? I can put the pieces together, Ichigo. You knew what she meant to Mr. Kuchiki and you decided to take me for yourself so he couldn’t have me…err, her, back.” 

He looked at the ground guiltily, his hands in his pockets with his head hanging. Byakuya was surprised to hear this, and interested what Ichigo had to say for himself. Softly, he spoke up. “You’re a little off. I had no idea what she meant to Byakuya.” Looking Sakura in her eyes, he corrected her. “You remind me of her sister, Rukia.” 

“What does that have to do with me, though?” Sakura asked, looking at him questioningly. Then it clicked in Byakuya’s mind and he narrowed his eyes at the ex-substitute shinigami, but he was curious to see what he had to say about Rukia. 

Ichigo blushed as he looked away. “A while ago, I realized I’m probably not going to see her ever again, since I lost my powers and she lives in the Soul Society. I-I don’t know. You just reminded me so much of her, I decided if I couldn’t have her I’d have you,” he said. 

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Ichigo. “You do realize I’m not this Rukia girl, or Mr. Kuchiki’s wife,” she said, glaring at the both of them. 

“Actually,” Byakuya said, speaking up after being quiet for so long, “you are her. Well, not Rukia.” 

Sakura’s eyes widened at what he was implying. “Are you saying I’m your wife, reincarnated?” Hearing this she got angry again. “Well, if you’re here to try and make me fall in love with you, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I hate the both of you!” she yelled as she stormed off, leaving the both of them at the park bench. Byakuya and Ichigo watched her go before giving each other loathing looks and walking off themselves. 

###  **Wednesday**

Byakuya awoke the next morning in the worst mood ever after he recalled the events of the day before. He got up and got dressed before practically storming – or as close to the heads of a noble clan get to storming because that would be beneath him – out to the main room for breakfast. Even though his outer façade looked, for all intents and purposes, like nothing had changed, those who knew him better, like Yoruichi, could tell something was on his mind and he didn’t like it. 

“So, what’s got your panties in such a twist, Byakuya?” Yoruichi said, earning a subtle glare from said shinigami. She smirked at his response. “Does it have anything to do with Sakura?” she questioned. His only response was to look down into his cup. “I’m right, aren’t I?” 

He looked up, glaring. “You were spying on our little exchange. I’m right, aren’t I?” he said, echoing her words. She bit back a grin while Urahara pulled out his fan to hide his smirk, confirming Byakuya’s suspicions. Of course Yoruichi, being the former commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō, would spy on him. 

He decided to leave the two, instead heading back to his room to think by himself. He didn’t want to go to school today and teach with her in the class. It would only make his mood worse. To distract himself, he decide which was be worse: having Sakura around and angry with him, or going back to the Soul Society and facing the head-captain’s wrath for disobeying what was essentially an order. 

# . . .

Mr. Kuchiki was absent from school that day, as well as Ichigo. She didn’t want to worry about them, but she couldn’t help it. Ichigo had been her friend for a while now, and while she barely knew Kuchiki, over the last few days she’d come to like him. ‘As a friend,’ she quickly added. She didn’t love him, like her. 

She spent the rest of the day worrying about them, when she wasn’t angry at them. After school she went to the usual park they seemed to be seeing a lot of each other in. It was on the swings Ichigo found her. When she noticed him out of the corner of her eyes she promptly ignored him, even looking the other way. Then he sat down on the swing next to her, forcing her to acknowledge him. 

“What do you want?” she snapped, though she immediately regretted it when she saw the hurt on his face. 

“Nothing. I just wanted to see if you were fine. You obviously are, seeing as you can still snap at me. I’ll leave now,” he said with a scowl, making a move to get up. He was stopped by Sakura who had grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the swing. 

“I’m sorry, please stay,” she pleaded, not wanting to lose her long-time friend. “I’m just confused,” she said, looking down at her hands resting on her legs. “Was what you and Kuchiki said really true?” 

Ichigo looked at her for a while before answering. “Yeah, it was all true.” 

“Who is Kuchiki, really?” she asked, a question that had been burning inside of her. She saw how he carried himself, his proud stance, and the commanding air he carried about himself. He intrigued her, this beautiful and lonely man. 

“Well, you know about the Soul Society and the shinigami that live there, right? Within the Soul Society is a…society, basically, and at the head of that society is, among others, the Four Noble Houses. The Kuchiki clan is one of the most important of these families, and Byakuya is the head. He’s also the captain of the 6th Division. So I guess you can say he’s a pretty important person.” 

Her assumptions were correct. He practically oozed power, and just by being in his presence she felt slightly intimidated. “Do I look like her? Hisana, or Rukia even?” she asked quietly. 

Ichigo studied her face, mentally comparing her to Rukia. “Almost exactly, though I can’t say for sure. Your hair is the same, though a little more frayed. You even have that one strand that goes in-between your eyes, though yours goes on both sides. And your eyes are a similar shade of purple, but yours are slightly darker. Other than that, no one would think you weren’t sisters.” 

She seemed to think about this, imagining herself a noble lady with Kuchiki, and then with Ichigo. The ideas were too farfetched for her to make sense. “Why did you befriend me? What’s so important about Rukia that you had to have me because you couldn’t have her?” 

He blushed slightly at her question. Though he didn’t like to admit it, he really did have feelings for the short-tempered midget. But she’d never know about them because she was in the Soul Society, unavailable to him. “I guess I am in love with her,” he admitted out loud, more to himself than anything. 

Sakura heard anyways. “Are you in love with me?” she asked, watching him for any reaction. He was looking at the ground, so it was hard to tell. 

“I guess you could say that. You’re so much like her, in your own way, that it hurts. But when you get mad, you don’t hit me,” he said with a smirk, remembering Rukia’s fondness for hitting him when he insulted her artwork. 

“What about Kuchiki? Is he still in love with me?” 

Ichigo considered it before responding. “Honestly, I’m not sure. He’s still in love with his wife, of that I have no doubt. And you probably remind him so much of her. But it’s hard to say. That dickwad is probably trying to tell himself he doesn’t care, but I think he does, deep down inside. Do you remember that day we first saw him?” She nodded, wondering where he was going with the question. “That was the anniversary of her death.” 

She gasped, starting to understand how the proud man would have felt seeing her there. “That must’ve been a horrible day for him. First it’s the anniversary of his wife’s death, and then he comes here and sees me, when I look exactly like her. And he sees you with me. He must be feeling horrible now. I feel bad for saying I hated him.” 

Ichigo patted her back. “Don’t worry about him too much. He’ll have to deal with it eventually. He’s probably fine.” 

“We should go see him and make sure he’s alright,” she demanded, making Ichigo grimace. 

“He probably wouldn’t appreciate seeing me, and considering what you said to him yesterday, he probably doesn’t want to see you either,” he reasoned, trying to talk her out of it. 

Sakura thought about this, but it didn’t deter her one bit. “I still think we should go. If he feels that way, then we’ll just apologize.” She gave him a pointed look. “Both of us. And what if he doesn’t feel that way and really needs a friend?” Ichigo scoffed. “No matter what you say, we’re going to the shop tomorrow,” she said, glaring at him as if daring him to challenge her. When he said nothing she stood up and walked home, not waiting for Ichigo to follow. But he did, his eyes rolling behind her back. 

# . . .

He concluded, after thinking about it for most of the day, that any punishment the head-captain could have come up with would have been much better than coming here. And he was positive others would find his conclusion to be true. 

###  **Thursday**

Knocking at his door brought Byakuya out of his sleep. Tired, and rather grumpy, he got up and opened his door with a glare at the person standing outside. Yoruichi grinned when she saw his glare and noticed his disheveled state. “You have some visitors.” He mentally rolled his eyes as he shut the door in her face. Quickly he fixed himself up and changed, and then went out to greet his visitors. 

He stopped in the doorway when he saw who it was. Sakura was staring at him, while Ichigo was looking bored. They were supposed to be in school, but instead they were here. Making sure his stony façade was still in place, he addressed the two. “Why are you here? I am trying to enjoy my vacation, and I would like you two to stop ruining it.” 

“Byakuya, that wasn’t very nice,” Yoruichi chided. “They’re here because they wanted to apologize.” 

Byakuya gave her a deadpan look. “I highly doubt I’ll get any sort of apology from Kurosaki. I’m sure the only reason he came along at all was to please Miss Tsubaki.” Sakura’s eyes widened and she coughed a bit. 

“See, I told you I shouldn’t have come. He saw right through us,” Ichigo said to Sakura, earning an elbow in his side. 

“Umm, Ku-Byakuya, we’d like to speak with you, privately,” she added, noticing Kisuke and Yoruichi still in the room. 

They both got up, eyeing Byakuya and Ichigo. “Fine, but be good you two. If I hear anything close to ‘scatter’ or something breaks, we’ll be forced to intervene,” Kisuke threatened, somewhat jokingly because Byakuya’s sword was safely away inside his gigai. “And no kidō,” he said as he left the room. 

As soon as he left Byakuya turned back to the pair. “What is it you want?” he demanded, not impolitely. 

Sakura looked a little startled at his bluntness, but quickly straightened herself out. “I’ve come to apologize about what I said to you two days ago, in the park. I’ve had your situation explained to me, and I think I understand how you must be feeling. For that, I am sorry,” she said, so formally it sounded like she’d been practicing it. 

He turned his cold stare on her, making her gulp. “Do you really think you can understand what I’m feeling? Have you ever had the person you loved most in the world die, leaving you alone?” He was surprised by her answer. 

“Yes. Both of my parents died in a car crash a few years after I was born. Luckily, I was with some friends, but I was still left without parents. I went to an orphanage, and that was where Kisuke found me and decided to foster me. I met Ichigo not too long after that.” 

Byakuya studied her for a moment. “Sounds tragic,” he replied. 

She looked surprised by his emotionless answer but shrugged it off, although the awkward silence that followed was too much for Ichigo, who decided to speak up. “So why aren’t you teaching class anymore? I thought you weren’t the type to leave because you didn’t want to do something,” Ichigo asked, repeating Byakuya’s words from their conversation in the park. 

“I have decided it is beneath me and a waste of my time, therefore I shall not be teaching anymore. It is not fitting for someone of my standing to lower themselves to teach stupid human teenagers,” he replied dismissively. He ignored the angry faces of the two visitors after his comment. 

Shaking with anger, Sakura slammed her hands on the table. “What was that for? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? I don’t remember you being this heartless,” she said, looking at him pleadingly. This emotionless façade was too much. She desperately hoped that it was all a ruse, a fake, because it hurt her to see him like this. Some part of her wondered why she was reacting this way; it’s not like she cared about him. Right? 

“I do,” Ichigo said, gritting his teeth and glaring at Byakuya. “This is exactly how he reacted during Rukia’s execution. If I hadn’t intervened, he would’ve let his sister die!” 

“If you hadn’t gotten involved, she wouldn’t have had to be executed in the first place,” Byakuya calmly retaliated. “You foolish humans have a bad habit of getting yourselves involved in affairs that don’t concern you. And then you go and create problems for the people whose lives you interrupted. I think now you can see why I’d rather not socialize with you humans,” he said, haughtily glaring at the two. 

Ichigo was now visibly shaking with anger; Sakura, however, was silently fuming with herself. “You’re right, I do see now. I’m sorry if we bothered you, but we’ll be going now,” she said in a clipped voice. She stood up without looking at Byakuya and stormed out of the shop. After one last glance at the noble, Ichigo rushed after her. Byakuya, too, stood up, forlornly gazing at the pair. 

The door behind him opened and Kisuke and Yoruichi entered the room. Byakuya turned to go back to his room, but suddenly Yoruichi slapped his face, glaring at him with an intense hatred. “How could you say something like that to her? She just wanted to apologize!” she shouted, confused. Byakuya was an old friend of hers, and while she knew he could be cold and distant sometimes, she never expected this kind of heartlessness from him. And it scared her. 

Byakuya said nothing in response to her question, instead pushing past her to his room. She watched him go sadly, hoping something would be able to make her friend happy again one day. 

#### extra

Renji sat in the 6th division office, doing paperwork. While doing so, he was thinking about his captain and the vacation he was on in the World of the Living. ‘I bet he’s having a great time there. Yeah, he probably is. Maybe he’s found a nice place to stay at and enjoy the peace away from the office. He should be grateful to me for sending him on the vacation in the first place. When he gets back, he’s probably going to thank me, and maybe offer me a gift. I wonder what he’d give me. Maybe he’d let me date Rukia.’ 

###  **Friday**

She was walking to school, but today she was walking alone. Ichigo was nowhere to be found, and when she went by his house earlier his sisters had said he’d already left. She’d walked away, dejected, and that was when her feet had subconsciously walked her to the park, by the ledge that overlooked the entire town. It was also the place where Byakuya had first found her and Ichigo. 

She stopped at the ledge to get a good look at the sun, which was just now rising above the horizon. It was then that she heard voices, two of them, coming up one of the side walkways. Her eyes widened when she recognized one of them, and she took off in that direction. 

# . . .

He’d gotten up early that morning, intending to go on a nice walk around the park, but that plan had flown right out the window when Yoruichi, who had also been up, decided to accompany him. Since he couldn’t get rid of her, he resolved to ignore her the entire time, but she wasn’t making it easy. She was talking his ears off about some inconsequential thing he couldn’t care less about. Suddenly he felt something poke the side of his face, and he turned to find Yoruichi, her finger still hovering near his face, looking at him with a gleam in her eyes. “What?” he asked. 

“You’re not paying attention to me, even though I offered to walk with you. How rude!” she said, pretending to pout. 

“I did not ask you to walk with me, you volunteered on your own. Besides, I have better things to think about than someone stealing your milk,” he replied, still calmly walking forward. 

“Like what?” she asked, catching him off guard. 

Signing, he stopped walking to respond to her. “Nothing of importance,” he replied offhandedly before continuing. 

She jogged to catch up to him after he’d left her, but it didn’t take her long. “I would think Sakura is important,” she said, almost making Byakuya trip because she’d caught his bluff – he didn’t, though, because nobles don’t trip or do anything disgraceful. 

“What makes you think I was thinking about her?” he said. Yoruichi just gave him a side look that asked if he was really serious. He had to give her props; not many people could read the captain of the 6th, but Yoruichi seemed to have a knack for it. 

Suddenly Yoruichi grinned. “Well, speak of the devil,” she said, watching something. 

Byakuya looked at what she was watching and was startled to recognize the form of Sakura running towards them. She stopped just in front of them, bowed over to catch her breath after running all that way with her heavy bag. “Kuchiki –” she began, but was cut off when she heard a swishing sound. Looking up, she realized Byakuya was no longer there with a puzzled expression on her face. 

Yoruichi grinned at her confusion. “Shunpo, part of the abilities of a shinigami,” she explained for Sakura. She gave a small “oh” as she leaned against the railing. 

# . . .

“Where’d he go?” she asked Yoruichi, who just shrugged. 

“Away from here, probably,” was her reply. 

Sakura was quiet for a moment as she dissected his actions. Did this mean he hated her, or did he just not want to see her? She thought back on the day before, what he’d said to her and Ichigo, and she got an inkling it was the former. 

“Don’t take it too hard; he’s just in a mood. It’s not you,” Yoruichi said to her, startling her out of her thoughts. 

It seemed like Yoruichi had read her mind, though what she said helped Sakura more than what she’d been thinking. “So you know Kuchiki pretty well, then?” she asked, curious about their history. She also found this an opportune time to learn about Kuchiki. 

Yoruichi laughed at the girl’s question; she could see the curiosity burning in her eyes. “Yeah, I know Byakuya pretty well. We met when he was just a kid training to take over as head of the family. By then I was already a captain, so I was much older than him,” she said. Sakura was a little surprised; she hadn’t thought Yoruichi to be that old. “I even helped him with his shunpo by stealing his hair band when I’d visit. He had such a temper back then, but now he’s no fun anymore,’ she said with a slight chuckle. There was a moment of silence between the two as they got lost in their separate thoughts, Yoruichi trying to think of how to prank Byakuya again while Sakura decided which question she wanted to ask next. 

“How well did you know Hisana?” she finally asked. 

Yoruichi stopped for a moment and studied Sakura before she replied. “Not very well. I’d only met her a few times because I was busy with my duties as a captain and commander of the Onmitsukidō, but from the few times I’d met her I’d grown to like her. She was so kind and gently, and she was very humble. Did you know Byakuya went against his family’s rules to marry her? But the looks on their faces at the wedding were priceless. They were both so happy,” she said wistfully as she remembered the lovely affair. “It was a shame to see her die. It was like all of the happiness in him died along with her. When he adopted Rukia I thought it would get better, but it didn’t seem like anything had changed.” 

Sakura was silent through Yoruichi’s tale. She could imagine how hard it was to see her once-happy friend now sad without the love of his life. “Why’d he adopt Rukia? Was it because she looked like Hisana?” she asked, although she had a feeling there was more to it than that. 

Yoruichi shook her head. “It was Hisana’s last wish to Byakuya, for him to find Rukia and protect her. But she asked him not to tell Rukia that Hisana was her sister, why I don’t know,” Yoruichi said thoughtfully. 

“It was because she felt unworthy to be called her sister,” Sakura supplied, surprising Yoruichi. 

“What makes you say that?” she wondered. 

Sakura looked distant for a moment before she responded, a little uncertain herself. “I-I don’t know. It just seemed right, you know. That’s how I’d feel,” she said, gazing out thoughtfully. She didn’t notice the way Yoruichi’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Well, you work on that feeling later. Shouldn’t you be in school?” she said with her hands on her hips, attempting to reprimand Sakura. 

Sakura looked at her watch before taking off towards the school. “Oh my gosh, you’re right! See you later, Yoruichi,” she called over her shoulder, leaving Yoruichi standing by the ledge. 

Yoruichi stayed there until she couldn’t see Sakura’s receding figure before shunpoing back to Kisuke to tell him of the latest developing issue with Sakura. 

###  **Saturday**

She was wandering through the park today; she didn’t feel well enough for school. Her mind felt as if it were being flooded, random images appearing in her mind. And she had no idea what they meant. Normally they were brief flashes, nothing more than a glimpse, but sometimes she could see a person. It was always the same person. He was tall, with relatively long dark hair, though the rest of his other features were distorted through the haze she saw everything through. But she had an inkling he was familiar, and she felt like she could trust him. 

She felt sick, faint, as her brain was bombarded. Stumbling a bit, she reached a swing and sat down, gently rocking back and forth from her momentum. She rested her head on the cool chain, enjoying the feel as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her. It had just started recently. And she wasn’t having any other symptoms, no fever or anything. She briefly wondered if she was going insane. 

Gathering the effort to stand, she decided to go speak with Kisuke and see if he knew what was wrong with her. She paused for a moment when she realized Byakuya would still be there. Then she decided she didn’t care anymore and was about to head over there, but something made her pause. 

The breeze that had been gently blowing throughout the park had stopped. All of the birds, who were usually flying around by now, had stopped. There weren’t even any squirrels about gathering any food. It gave her a spooky feeling, and slowly she turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw the huge Hollow standing several meters behind her, watching her with hungry eyes. 

It was big, with a large white serpentine tail winding around it, and growing out of the tail close to the torso was a pair of pointed legs. But the Hollow mask was the worst. It looked like a snake’s head, but there was what looked like a burst of red paint around the eyes, and some on the mouth. No, that wasn’t a marking; it was real blood, Sakura realized with a gasp. She looked horrified at the soul of a boy lying near the monster, half of its stomach missing, no doubt within the Hollow’s. 

The Hollow turned away, intent on finishing its first meal, but before it could grab at the boy again it was hit with a medium-sized rock, courtesy of Sakura. “Hey, don’t touch that boy!” she shouted at it, earning a low growl from the Hollow. But it chose to ignore her again, instead going back for the boy. Sakura threw another rock, and this time it turned towards her with a snarl, its eyes wide with anger. It began to rear back on its tail, intending to lunch at Sakura. She quickly realized what was about to happen and turned to run away. The Hollow, having forgotten its meal, chased after her. 

# . . .

He arrived at the park too late for the boy’s soul. It was already dead, so he performed a Konsō in an attempt to save the soul from the hollowfication process. He was about to go, thinking the hollow had disappeared, when he felt a flare in someone’s reiatsu. Shocked, he recognized it as Sakura’s and immediately shunpoed to where she was. 

He stopped meters above her location to observe the scene before him. Neither Sakura nor the Hollow had noticed him yet, which was good. The Hollow had Sakura backed up against a tree, its large tail wrapped loosely around the tree to create a barricade to prevent Sakura from running. Not that she could’ve run very far in her condition. She had multiple small scratches on her arms and legs, but her worst injury was a scratch above her eye, blood pouring from it and preventing her from opening it. 

While he was observing the Hollow reared up, preparing to kill Sakura with one strike, and it was then Byakuya decided to make himself known. “Scatter, Senbonzakura.” His sword dissolved into the tiny blades that were Senbonzakura and flew towards Sakura, creating a barrier in front of her that the Hollow hit dead on. It moved back, its head waving from side to side to find him. Dramatically he landed on the ground and walked calmly towards the monster. 

Sakura’s eyes lit up as she realized she wasn’t going to die there, and who else had come to save her but Byakuya. She was strangely overjoyed to see him, but right now she didn’t dwell on it too much. 

The hollow, sensing Byakuya’s power, decided to retreat and began slithering backwards. However, Byakuya was not going to let it go. Anyone who messed with those he loved was going to die. The tiny blades of his Shikai responded to his wish, crashing into the Hollow and obliterating it into a thousand pieces that soon disappeared. 

After sending a glare in the direction of the disintegrating Hollow, Byakuya walked over to Sakura, who had slumped on the ground, weak from the loss of blood. She was barely conscious, and therefore unable to walk, so Byakuya picked her up in his arms and began walking back to Urahara Shoten. As he prepared to shunpo there, he looked down at Sakura to find she had made herself comfortable in his arms. Her hand was clutching his robes, and she had her head resting on his chest. He gave a small smile as he brushed her hair out of her face, though he dared not touch her more than that. 

“Thank you, Lord Byakuya,” she whispered softly, startling him. She had yet to open her eyes though, so he figured she was still asleep. But her words made him happier. 

He shunpoed off to Kisuke, who took one look at her and gestured for Byakuya to bring her to one of the back rooms. He was then told to leave as he and Tessai began healing Sakura. Only slightly dejected, he walked back to his room and rested there, thinking about what he had said to him earlier. 

Hisana had called him Lord Byakuya. 

###  **Sunday**

Byakuya woke up that morning, and immediately after getting dressed he walked to Sakura’s room, though he stopped short outside, suddenly unsure. He had no real reason to visit her. Although he could just say it was because he wanted to check up on her, considering he’d saved her from a Hollow, and was concerned about how she was doing. 

He opened the door on that thought, and walked over to Sakura, kneeling on a pillow beside where she was lying. He watched her sleep, her breathing in and out, and almost instinctively he reached out to brush a stray strand of hair across her face. He barely managed to stop himself short of touching her, though she must’ve felt something because her eyes flew open. She turned to look at him curiously, and there was an awkward silence between the two. Byakuya coughed to clear his throat. “Are you feeling better?” 

She returned to looking at the ceiling before responding, her voice light. “Very much so. Byakuya, I want to thank you for saving me from the Hollow yesterday, since I didn’t get a chance to afterwards,” she said, giving him a smile that nearly took his breath away. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied before they again lapsed into silence, although it was not as uncomfortable as before. 

The silence was soon interrupted by a loud thumping noise down the hall, followed by the door slamming open to reveal a winded Ichigo. “Sakura!” he cried out as he found her on the ground, rushing over to sit next to her. “Are you alright?” he asked. 

Byakuya calmly stood up and walked out of the room, deciding to give the friends a little privacy. As he closed the door behind him, he noticed Kisuke standing further down the hall, a serious expression on his face, and for once his fan out of sight. “Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked, turning down the hall to go to the main room. Byakuya silently followed, settling himself opposite of the shopkeeper at the table. He didn’t have to prompt Kisuke to begin speaking. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to stay away from Sakura from now on.” 

Byakuya raised one eyebrow, the only sign that he was confused. “And what is your reasoning behind asking this of me? Your overprotective father urges finally kicking in?” Byakuya asked, internally fuming at the audacity of the exiled captain to tell him something like that. 

“Her memories are returning, meaning she remembers her life as Hisana,” he explained. 

Byakuya’s eyes widened in surprise. How long had she had the memories of Hisana? His thoughts flew back to the day before when she had called him Lord Byakuya. “Why should I have to stay away, then?” he asked. In the back of his mind, he desperately hoped the man didn’t have a sound logical answer, that way he wouldn’t have to listen because when he thought about it, he didn’t really want to stay away from Sakura anymore. 

“I believe her memories returned due to the exposure of your spiritual energy, kind of like how Ichigo’s power influenced the development of his friends’ powers. Therefore, if you were to leave, the memories would cease and she would be able to live a normal life again.” 

“What are you talking about, Kisuke? I don’t want my memories to disappear!” Sakura exclaimed, surprising both men. She and Ichigo had left her room and walked to the main room without either of them noticing, managing to startle them as well. And right now, Sakura was not very happy, piecing together what Kisuke had said. She didn’t want Byakuya to go away, even though she knew he had to. 

“That wasn’t your life, Sakura. There’s no reason for you to keep them,” Kisuke argued. 

But Sakura was adamant about keeping them, fixing Kisuke with a hard glare. “But I want that to be my life,” she said forcefully, surprising all of the men in the room. Byakuya was looking at Sakura in astonishment, his eyes wide open. He could hardly believe what he’d just heard, despite the warm feeling growing within. 

“Sakura, what are you saying?” Ichigo asked, incredulous. 

“Everything has returned. All of Hisana’s memories…even her feelings,” she said quietly, looking at the ground now. “And I can’t help but find myself agreeing with her,” she whispered. “Byakuya, can I talk to you? Alone,” she added, looking at the others in the room. Ichigo eyed her and then Byakuya suspiciously before leaving the room, Kisuke following. Byakuya sat there, still not moving or speaking as he watched Sakura. 

“Byakuya, at the beginning of the week I knew nothing about you or my past life as your wife. When I did realize who I was, I rejected the idea. I didn’t want to let who I was define me now. But gradually, as I began to understand you better, I realized that I couldn’t help it; no matter what life I led I would always love you,” she said, beginning to tear up. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore, seeing her this way. He stood up and walked over to her, putting his arms around her in a hug. He said nothing to her, but just held her there. 

She spoke up again, not quite done with her speech. “While I was unconscious yesterday I thought about you, and how I might’ve been able to live that life again with you, but I know that can’t happen as long as I’m alive. That’s why I’m prepared to wait for you, if you’ll still have me after I die.” She looked up into his eyes, her own searching for an answer in his own. 

Instead of replying, he kissed her on the lips, surprising her. “I’m not prepared to wait, so you’ll have to deal with me now,” he said when he pulled away. She smiled at him as she nodded, resting her head on his shoulder while he held her, completely content. 

After a moment, Sakura spoke up again. A question had been plaguing her mind, and she was curious as to what they would do next. “How is this going to work out, you living in the Soul Society while I’m here?” Byakuya just looked at her, not having an answer for her. 

Luckily, someone else did. The door slid open to reveal none other than Kisuke Urahara, who had been listening to their entire conversation. “I believe I have an answer to that.” 

# . . .

Sakura was looking at Kisuke warily, clutching Byakuya’s arm as she sorta hid behind him. “Are you sure this is the only way?” she asked. 

He nodded. “Only souls can get to the Soul Society, and in order to become a soul without being a shinigami is to die. Don’t worry, it’ll be painless, right Ichigo?” he said, looking at the ex-substitute shinigami. Ichigo scowled, not helping Sakura feel any better. “All I’m going to do is eject your soul from your body, and then cut your soul chain. Then Byakuya will lead you to the Soul Society so you don’t get lost in the Rukongai, and then you two can live happily ever after,” Kisuke explained. “First, though, I would suggest saying your goodbyes. Not all of us are spiritually aware anymore,” he said, specifically looking at Ichigo. 

She turned to her friend sadly, noting the equally sad expression on his own face. “Ichigo,” she said, moving to give him one last hug that Byakuya didn’t particularly like. “I’m sorry about you and Rukia, but cheer up, things will get better,” she told him. 

He gave her a small smile. “Yeah, maybe,” he replied, letting her go. 

She walked back over to Byakuya and Kisuke, who held up his cane directly in front of her forehead. “Thank you, Kisuke, for everything,” she told him. 

“No problem, kid. Now, are we all ready to go?” he asked, hiding his grin behind his fan. 

She looked at Byakuya for encouragement and he nodded, a small smile on his own face. Taking a step forward, she stood in front of Kisuke as he shoved his cane through her head. Luckily Byakuya had been standing behind her to catch her soul, otherwise she would’ve been thrown back several feet. 

“Hey, you said that wouldn’t hurt,” she complained to Kisuke, rubbing her forehead where she’d felt a slight push from the cane. Kisuke shrugged, easily cutting her Chain of Fate. She scowled at him and turned to Byakuya. Since he was already in soul form, all he had to do now was summon a Senkaimon, which he did. The door opened and two Hell butterflies flew out to greet them. Nervously, she grabbed Byakuya’s hand and they both stepped inside. 

They walked through the passageway at a leisurely pace, Byakuya not really looking forward to what was going to be chaos once they made it to the Soul Society. “Get ready, Sakura,” he said once they neared the exit. 

“Hisana. I’m Hisana now.” 

And they stepped out. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was also published before on fanfiction.net under the same username, so if you've seen it there don't worry, I'm the same author.


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